Threatened pear tree crowned England’s tree of the year

Beautiful 250-year-old pear tree reigns supreme but its future remains uncertain

The winner of The Woodland Trust‘s Tree of the Year contest has been announced. With Country Living’s own Kitty Corrigan sitting on the judging panel, the Cubbington Pear Tree in Warwickshire was selected from 200 applicants and will represent England in the European Tree of the Year contest in February 2016.

Country Living has always been proud supporters of the work carried out by The Woodland Trust, most notably with our recent V.I .Trees Campaign – an initiative run in partnership with the trust calling for a national register of historically important trees, with the aim of giving them similar protection to that accorded to listed buildings. As confirmed lovers of all things arboreal we are big fans of their annual Tree of the Year Competition so when we were invited to help judge the competition we were very happy to oblige.

Photo: Rui Vieira/PA

After whittling down 200 arboreal applicants to a shortlist of 29, the winning tree was finally announced on 6 November. The Cubbington Pear tree, which is found near the village of Cubbington in Warwickshire, received more than 10,000 public votes. Believed to be over 250 years old, the tree stands at the top of a hill near South Cubbington Wood and is thought to be the second largest wild pear tree in the UK.

The contest is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, from which country director Annemiek Hoogenboom, commented: “Tree of the Year is a special competition that connects people with trees in a very real way. Sharing and remembering the stories that we tell about tress helps future generations to love and protect them.”

Trees vs. tracks

Photo: Rui Vieira/PA

However, casting shade over the tree’s winning glory is its position on the proposed phase one line of the new HS2 route. If the work goes ahead, the Cubbington Pear could be lost forever once construction gets underway. The Warwickshire tree is one of 20 ancient, veteran or notable trees within the HS2 phase one construction boundary, with a further 18 lying within 200 metres of the proposed phase two route.

The winning trees for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have also been announced:

Photo: Woodland Trust

• Scotland: Suffragette Oak
  Standing within Kelvingrove Park, and planted by suffrage organisations on 20 April 1918 to commemorate the granting of votes to women, this oak is a big part of the history of Glasgow.

  Picture: Michael Cooper

• Northern Ireland: Peace Tree
  Planted in Belfast on Empire Day, 1919, this oak is a tree of remembrance and peace in honour of local people who never returned from the First World War. After becoming a focal point for many veterans, the tree was seemingly forgotten for almost 50 years before being rediscovered in 2006 and reinvigorated back into the community.

  Photo: WTPL

• Wales: Survival at the cutting edge
  “When I was born what is now the National Botanic Garden of Wales was seven starter farms. To earn pocket money at the age of 14 I was given the job of clearing an overgrown paddock. Armed with a scythe, I cleared vast tracts of it, until I developed an excruciating pain in my elbow and had to stop. On my return two days later, the farmer reminded me (though they hadn’t told me before) not to cut down the oak tree in the paddock. So, but for my elbow, I would have destroyed this beautiful tree.” Terry Treharne

Beccy Speight, Woodland Trust chief executive, said: “These four trees all demonstrate the intrinsic way our lives are linked to the natural world. Sadly many iconic trees do not have the levels of protection they deserve and this contest highlights the need to ensure they remain for future generations to enjoy and memories to endure.”

For more information about the winning and shortlisted entrants, visit The Woodland Trust. 

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